A Ship Worthy of A King
by BevellaClearlyNotKnown
Summary: A look at how things could have gone during the final battle and after the end of At Worlds End. It's a bit longer than a normal drabble, and was written for a friend. Slightly Sparrabeth, and maybe Norribeth if you squint. T to be safe. Note: Will doesn't propose, and still becomes captain of the Flying Dutchman.


_A/N: I know you guys hate these, but I have to shoutout to "Sparrabeth' the awesome tumblr blog who makes screencap memes to die for, and puts up with my fangirling. Please accept this humble gift, and forgive any and all mistakes, it was written in about 30 minutes, and any inconsistencies can be filed under 'AU'._

* * *

As Elizabeth began to crouch and duck the blow a scaly faced fishman was sending her way, she could have sworn she heard her name being called. By a voice that sounded remarkably like Jack's.

When she swung back up and parried the next swing of the crewman, Barbossa swooped in out of nowhere to kick her foe in the chest, sending him overboard, and she was able to relax, momentarily.

Over the noise of the maelstrom, she heard her name again, and turned to find Jack only inches from her face.

All smart remarks and clever retorts left her mind, and the only words she could muster were,

"Yes Jack?"

"Look love, if we live through this, remind me, I need to find your kingship a ship." He grinned at her, gold teeth glinting even in the dim light seeping through the dark clouds swirling above them.

Elizabeth smirked slightly, despite herself,

"What if I were to wish to commander the Pearl? Would you let me have her?"

Jack looked taken aback, but then shrugged,

"We'd have to talk about it. Maybe over a few bottles of rum. In my cabin."

Elizabeth would have looked more indignant if an alarmingly large number of Jones' crew hadn't been heading their way, swords a lot, and menacing growls eminating from their mouths.

"Later. We'll talk. Duck!" Elizabeth quickly turned to block a deadly blow aimed at her waist, and Jack turned to place his back against hers, and they began fighting as one, a dangerous sword fighting machine.

When the storm finally cleared, and Elizabeth, Jack, Barbossa, and Norrington were standing, soaking wet, and exhausted, watching as Beckett's armada turned tail and fled, she managed a smile.

Jack looked over to catch her staring at him. They had been victorious. Both sides had suffered losses, but in the end, Elizabeth knew Will would be a good and trustworthy ally as captain of the Flying Dutchman.

It was a strange thing to think of. Will was now immortal. Someday Elizabeth would be aboard his ship, on her way to her death, while he lived on to see the rest of the world off to the next one.

They sailed off back to Shipwreck cove, eager to celebrate the victory, and drink themselves to a stupor.

At least, that's how Elizabeth felt.

* * *

After a few pints of ale and bottles of rum had been consumed, she turned to find Jack, simply slouched into a chair, at a table alone, in the corner of the bar, simply watching the rest of the crew.

Will had joined them, for what better way to spend your last day on land, for a while that is, surrounded by friends?

He was chatting very loudly and happily with his father and Barbossa, and when he laughed at something one of them said, Elizabeth saw for a moment the boy she had fallen for, but then the man appeared again, a man who she now felt nothing but a deep respect and platonic love for.

She stepped away from the bar, and made her way over to Jack's table, plopped a half empty bottle on the wooden surface, and he looked up, grinned, and gestured to the other lone chair.

"Please, sit, your highness."

Elizabeth was too happy to bother feeling annoyed with him.

She did as he requested, and after taking a large gulp of rum, posed the question.

"What about that ship?"

He leaned close, and she could smell the fresh sea air on his skin, and almost taste the saltiness as he whispered,

"The Pearl is yours. Providing I can be your First Mate."

Elizabeth's mouth fell open in shock, and Jack reached over, gently closed it with a finger, and then waggled it at her,

"Now now love, don't do that, you'll catch moths."

"You're not being serious Jack. You don't mean it. You're just playing me for a fool. You don't have to do that. I'd be happy to just sail with you, I wouldn't really steal your ship. Just say you know of another ship like it, that matches it for speed and maneuverability, and I'll sail with you. You'll have your own armada. I'll sail under your colors. But you can't have half my plunder. I am King after all. It's got to stand for something."

Jack had listened patiently as she had spoken, but once she'd finished, he took her free hand in his, and began swirling his thumb across her palm,

"I'm utterly and completely serious. She's yours. I'll bet I can even convince ol Hector to let you have it. I'll find another ship. Gibbs will be happy to have a bit of a respite, he's a great first Mate, but that keeps him so busy he's barely got time to be my friend. I've had enough of fighting for a while, it's time we go on an adventure, where no English idiots will be after us for some fishface's heart. No offense to Will of course." He jerked a thumb in the man in question's direction, and Elizabeth smiled. If he did his job well, Will would always be his handsome self.

"What about James? He can't go back to the navy. They'd execute him." For a moment, the exhilaration and happiness from winning the battle faded from Elizabeth's face, and she was struck with worry. Her oldest friend didn't have anywhere to go. He'd survived falling to Jones' hand nearly half a dozen times, he couldn't die from being noble.

Jack shrugged,

"It's up to you I suppose. Where would you put him? He's overqualified to be a cabin boy. He's too smart to be just a first mate, and he's much too by the book to be a good pirate captain."

Jack winced and tried to avoid her gaze, whilst still holding onto her hand.

Elizabeth shrugged, imitating Jack as best she could as she said,

"He'll just have to do as he's told." Her face softened, and she bit her lip, before continuing,

"He can be part of my crew, no matter what I sail, he'll have a safe bunk on my ship."

Jack nodded approvingly at her,

"Good plan. . . er, Kingly idea."

"Thank you Jack."

"I'll go have a word with Hector about the ship. See what I can't do." He rose, and gently set her hand back on the table beside the bottle of rum, which was dangerously close to being empty now.

She watched him as he crossed over to interrupt Will and Barbossa, who only tried to look angry for a moment, before laughing at Jack's antics.

While she tried to get the last drops of burning liquid from the bottle, she heard footsteps, and turned to see James, smiling slightly at her.

The bottle fell to the table with a clunk, and she stood quickly, only feeling somewhat dizzy as she embraced him.

"I'm so glad to see you. I must order you not to return to England, or—"

James cut her off with a shake of his head,

"I know. I was coming over to ask you for help. I need a crew to join. If they'd have me?" his dark green eyes looked sad, as his face asked her for a second chance, and she nodded, unable to act very kingly when faced with her childhood hero suddenly needing her assistance.

"Of course James. Please, join me. But first, I need more rum." She collapsed back into the chair, and didn't even flinch as the empty bottle rolled off the table and shattered on the hard floor.

James strode back over to the bar, calling for a bottle of rum for the Pirate King, as Jack wobbled his way back over.

"Hector's amenable to the idea, as long as we give him a ride back north. I think he said something about wanting to infiltrate the British army. Now, planning for a new adventure, I've swiped the middle from Sao Feng's map, and guess what I found, whilst simply spinning around the rings?"

Elizabeth shrugged, unable to think of anything more out of this world than having been to the end of it, to Davy Jones locker and back, and having fought over the edge of a whirlpool.

Jack leaned in close again, and Elizabeth fought to keep her gaze on his, rather than dipping down dangerously close to watching his mouth,

"The Aqua de Vida." The whispered phrase stirred something inside her mind, it was Spanish for-

"Fountain of Life?" She mumbled, and he grinned,

"More accurately love, the Fountain of Youth. That's where we'll head next." When James brought over the new bottle of rum, Elizabeth took it with a muttered thanks, and began gulping it down.

James' eyes widened slightly, but when he glanced at Jack, who shook his head, he merely sat down on a barstool, and took a pull from his own mug of ale.

"Go get some sleep then. For tomorrow we set sail, _Captain Swann._"

"After I finish this, _First Mate Sparrow._"

James chuckled at the pair of them, and shook his head,

"I'm sailing with a bunch of pirates. Pride of the King's Navy indeed."

* * *

**END.**


End file.
